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City Meetings and Updates July 14

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  • City Meetings:
    • Police and Fire Commission 7/14
    • Finance Committee 7/15
    • Common Council 7/15, Includes Housing Forward Proposals
  • Reminder: WisDOT Public Meeting on South Stoughton Road Redesign 7/15
  • Madison LakeWay Project Virtual Public Meeting 7/21
  • Your Input Requested: Take the Economic Development Community Survey by 7/21
  • Events & Announcements

City Meetings

Police and Fire Commission

The Police and Fire Commission meeting will take place on Monday, July 14, at 5:30 p.m. Agenda items include a discussion of the Police Chief hiring process.

Finance Committee

The Finance Committee meeting will take place on Tuesday, July 15, at 4:30 p.m. Agenda items include:

  • Approving amendments to several Tax Incremental Finance Districts #42, 45, 48, 53
  • Approving the initial Project Plan for the new Tax Incremental Finance District #55 which will be used to support the development of some public works infrastructure and affordable housing in the new Starkweather neighborhood (former Voit Farm site).
  • A proposed agreement with the Madison LakeWay Partners, Inc. as the non-profit charitable partner to support the redevelopment of the Madison LakeWay (the LakeWay project site and plan can be found here).

Meeting info:

Common Council

The Common Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, July 15, at 6:30 p.m. in hybrid format. Agenda items include the three housing forward proposals.

Meeting info: 

Map showing plans for Veridian's proposal, including the street grid, park lots, single-family lots, and townhome lots.
Image credit: Veridian Homes
Map from the plans for Reiland Grove.
  • Items 3 and 45: Rezoning property and approving a preliminary plat for Reiland Grove in District 3, Veridian's proposed new neighborhood north of Commercial Ave between Reiner and Felland to be constructed over ten to fifteen years. Here’s a link to the neighborhood's proposed map and here’s Veridian’s letter of intent. Traffic concerns in the area have been raised by residents during the review process and I’m glad to see that a proposed condition of approval states: "The applicant shall submit a traffic study analyzing the impacts of their development on the intersection of Commercial Avenue/Reiner Road/Sprecher Road and be responsible for any improvements as approved by the Director of Traffic Engineering." Those improvements will include a mix of traffic calming features, crosswalks, signage, pavement markings, turn lanes, sidewalks or mixed-use paths, as appropriate. Over time the nearby roads will be reconstructed in the form of urban streets. Nearby parcels are recommended for more intensive mixed-use and commercial development but are not proposed for development at this time. The Plan Commission unanimously recommended approval of Reiland Grove on 7/7.

  • Items 6, 7, and 8 are the three Housing Forward proposals meant to encourage more “missing middle”-scale housing in the City. Here’s my blog post from a few weeks ago with more information and links, and here’s a link to the recorded July 2nd public information meeting on the proposals. The Housing Policy Committee and the Plan Commission each voted unanimously to recommend approval of the three proposals. So far I have only seen comments of support for the proposals at committee and in emails, including from several AARP members. 

    Graphic showing how the Deep Lots proposal works
    Image credit: City Planning
    How "deep residential lots" might be divided and developed.
    • Item 6: a zoning ordinance change making it easier to divide deep residential lots, sometimes called flag lots, for additional home construction where there is enough space on a lot (I’m a cosponsor). Here’s a zoning staff memo explaining the change.
    • Item 7: a zoning ordinance change allowing two-family twin and two-unit buildings in all zoning districts where single-family homes are also allowed. Here’s a zoning staff memo explaining this change.
    • Item 8: a zoning ordinance change standardizing conditional use thresholds in downtown zoning districts for consistency with the rest of the City (I’m a cosponsor). Here’s a zoning staff memo explaining this change.
  • Item 11: A proposal to add an exception to the referendum requirement of the Shoreline Parks preservation ordinance for the Madison LakeWay project, previously done for other City projects at Olbrich Botanical Gardens, Garver Feed Mill, and others (I’m a cosponsor as a Park Commissioner). The Board of Park Commissioners voted unanimously to recommend approval on 7/9.
  • Item 14: A resolution authorizing a 2-year competitive contract with a vender to complete the Starkweather Creek and Olbrich Gardens Watershed Study (includes most of District 3). The previous vendor didn’t finish work on their contract (and was not paid the full amount of that contract). The City has had better success on other studies with a different vendor now proposed to continue this watershed study. The study’s modeling and projections will help determine recommended future projects to improve stormwater handling in the watershed.

Reminder: WisDOT Public Meeting on South Stoughton Road Redesign July 15th 

Map of South Stoughton Road corridor
Image credit: Wisconsin DOT

As a reminder, WisDOT is hosting another Public Information Meeting on the South Stoughton Road Corridor Study to get public feedback on five design alternatives. The designs that WisDOT chooses to pursue will shape the future of the south-east side of Madison and have the potential to improve safety for alternative transportation modes and reconnect neighborhoods, or could lock in the heavy-traffic, highway-like nature of the corridor.

  • Where: La Follette High School Cafeteria
  • When: Monday, July 21st from 5:30-7:00 p.m.

This meeting will focus on reviewing conceptual alternatives at each intersection along the corridor and providing input that will help shape the vision for Stoughton Road South. In addition, the city of Madison will have a representative available to provide updates on the city's Southeast Area Plan.

Study details and information about the upcoming public meeting can be found on the WisDOT's study website. Meeting materials and an online survey will be available on the study website after the meeting for those unable to attend.

Madison Lakeway Project Virtual Public Meeting July 21st

From the Meeting Announcement:

“You're invited to a Virtual Public Meeting on the first phase of the Madison LakeWay!

Join us on Monday, July 21 at 6:30 PM for a virtual public meeting to review the ongoing design development for upcoming Madison LakeWay improvements. The project area is a 0.6-mile stretch of Lake Monona’s shoreline adjacent to John Nolen Drive. We’re inviting community members to review the progress and share input on proposed lakeshore features. 

Map of the area of the future Madison LakeWay project
Image credit: Madison LakeWay Partners

What to Expect:

  • A look at the design progress since the completion of the schematic phase earlier this year
  • An overview of the proposed lakeshore amenities
  • Update on project next steps
  • Opportunities to provide feedback and ask questions

Project Timeline:

  • Schematic design completion: Early 2025
  • Design development: Through August 2025
  • Construction documents: Late 2025 – early 2026
  • Public Works bidding: Fall 2026
  • Construction start: Anticipated in 2027

Madison Parks is working in close coordination with other City agencies, including City Engineering, to align the LakeWay improvements with the planned reconstruction of John Nolen Drive.

Meeting Registration: Madison LakeWay - Design Develpoment PIM

For more information on the non-profit partnering organization, please visit: Madison LakeWay Partners”

Your Input Requested: Take the Economic Development Community Survey by July 21st

The City of Madison Economic Development Division invites you to participate in an important community initiative focused on transforming our approach to economic development. This project aims to create a more inclusive and sustainable economic future by putting community members' needs at the forefront.

Here is a link to the survey! Please note that it will close on July 21, 2025.

Your input will:

  • Shape community-centered planning with measurable outcomes
  • Create a future vision for our economic landscape
  • Improve city programs and services
  • Develop practical strategies for implementation

Your feedback will contribute to a comprehensive 5-year Economic Development Work Plan that addresses four key areas:

  • Improving Economic Mobility and Building Generational Wealth
  • Empowering Madison’s Workforce
  • Supporting Local Capital Circulation and Small Businesses
  • Investing in Existing and Emerging Industries to Create Good Jobs

Questions? Please email our partners at EQT by Design at Engagement@eqtbydesign.com

Events & Announcements

Please visit the City news webpage to find additional news and announcements and to subscribe to receive notification of news releases as they are posted. Additional upcoming events can also be found on the City events calendar. 

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Alder Derek Field

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